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HOW TO COOK 

WITH 

LOW PRESSURE NATURAL GAS 



PREPARED BY 

SAMUEL S. WYER 

CONSULTING ENGINEER 
COLUMBUS OHIO 

October 24, 1919 



THE 2.000.000 DOMESTIC NATURAL GAS CONSUMERS IN 
THE UNITED STATES COULD SAVE AT LEAST $36 000 000 
WORTH OF GAS ANNUALLY, IF THEIR COOKING APPLIANCES 
WERE PROPERLY ADJUSTED FOR LOW PRESSURE GAS SERVICE." 

UNITED STATES FUE_ ADMINISTRATION 



Sec. 1 — Properly Directed Flames Necessary C ip 

In burning gas for cooking three distinct steps are 
necessary:* 

a The gas must be properly burned ; that is, it must be 
properly mixed with air so as to burn with a pale 
blue non-luminous flame. A luminous flame will be 
wasteful and will deposit soot on the cooking vessel. 

b The flame must be properly directed ; that is, the tip 
of the flame must come close to the cooking vessel. 
If the flame is too short to reach the cooking vessel, 
or is blown to one side by a strong draft of air, gas 
will be wasted, a longer time will be required, and if 
the flame tip is too far away it may be impossible to 
cook, although the short improperly directed flames 
may be kept burning a long time. 

c The heat generated by the burning gas must be deliv- 
ered through the cooking vessel walls and into the 
food. Hence, thin vessels and grid or open stove 
tops are necessary for good service. Natural gas 
should never be used under a solid stove top because 
it is always wasteful and under low pressure condi- 
tions may make cooking impossible. 

Sec. 2 — ^Wrong Burner and Vessel Position 







COOKING VESSEL 




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GAS BURNER 



The above shows what happens when low pressure nat- 
ural gas is burned in the usual natural gas stove. The 
cooking vessel is so far away that the short flames cannot 

*For further discussion of gas use, see Bulletins of the Department of 
Home Economics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, on: 

"Effect of gas pressure on natural gas cooking operations in the home." 
"Kitchen tests of relative costs of five fuels for cooking." Reprinted 
October, 1918. qj^ 

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reach it. This results in waste of gas, longer time to 
cook, and in some cases impossibility to cook at all, even 
though the gas may be burned for a long time. 



Sec. 3 — Correct Burner and Vessel Position 

Merely lowering the cooking vessel or raising the 
burner, as shown below, will result in satisfactory cook- 
ing, in the usual length of time with same low pressure, 
same stove and same burner. In fact, using properly 
directed short flames at low pressure, as shown below, 
will actually use less than one-half of the gas required 
with the usual high pressure and resulting long flames. 




\ ' COOKfNG t/£SS£L 

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FLAME 



GAS BURNER. 



Sec. 4 — How to Get Vessel and Burner in Correct Position 

For permanent service in purchasing new stoves, get 
either an artificial gas stove or a natural gas stove with 
burners properly raised for short flame service. Old 
stoves worth remodeling may be changed by : 

a Raising the burner, burner supports, and manifold 
— that is, pipe into which gas burner cocks are 
screwed. 

b New burner castings of proper height for short 
flames may be secured for some stoves. 

c Cementing casting on top of existing burners so as 
to bring the burner top to the proper height. 

d Depressed grid tops to bring the vessel support down 
to the low burners. 

Closed tops must never be used and in all cases where 
burners are raised, grid or open tops must be used with 
the short flames. 



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A larger sized spud opening — that is, the small open- 
ing immediately in front of the gas cock through which 
the gas passes into the mixer — should be used with low 
pressure service. Some stoves have adjustable spuds; 
others must either have new spuds or have the old small 
openings reamed larger. 

If the pressure in the gas mains is too high, the more 
efficient short flame low pressure conditions can still be 
maintained by merely partially opening the gas cock. 
Never let the flame lick up along the side of the vessel. 

Baker burners need not be raised, because the heat 
from the burning gas is already inside of the chamber to 
be heated. The spud and mixer must, however, be prop- 
erly adjusted so as to get a pale blue non-luminous flame. 

As a temporary means, remove the stove top and on 
drilled burners insert three wire nails and on slotted 
burners, three pieces of sheet-iron, for supporting the 
cooking vessel as shown below, so that the tip of the 
short low pressure flame comes close to the vessel bottom. 




Dirty gas burners frequently prevent proper cooking 
operations. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 486 527 3 ^ 



